Japanese matcha for San Francisco.
Japanese matcha for San Francisco cafes, tea houses, hotels, and restaurants, from Japantown and the Richmond to Hayes Valley and the Mission. Free sample kits come with origin, harvest, cultivar, lot number, and milling date on every sachet.
Who we supply in San Francisco
San Francisco is a small city with an unusually demanding matcha audience. Japantown has tea houses and Japanese cafes serving usucha to people who know the difference, the Richmond and Sunset add Asian bakeries and dessert shops, and Hayes Valley, the Mission, SoMa, and North Beach carry specialty cafes whose customers read the menu closely. Downtown coffee bars and hotels round it out, with a tourist trade that orders matcha because it is on the board.
- Specialty cafes in Hayes Valley, the Mission, SoMa, and North Beach.
- Tea houses and Japanese cafes in Japantown serving whisked tea, not only lattes.
- Hotels and downtown coffee bars that need one consistent drink across shifts.
- Bakeries and dessert shops in the Richmond and Sunset.
Samples and wholesale delivery
Free sample kits ship by USPS to San Francisco addresses.
Wholesale orders are milled to order in Japan. Ocean freight clears at the Port of Oakland, across the bay, and trucks into the city; air freight clears at SFO. City delivery is the awkward part, not the import: back-of-house space in San Francisco is tight, so we would rather send smaller, more frequent shipments than one pallet you have nowhere to put.
Permits and licensing
The San Francisco Department of Public Health's environmental health branch permits food facilities in the city and county. Because the city and the county are the same jurisdiction, there is only one authority to deal with.
- Businesses that manufacture, repack, or warehouse packaged food generally register with the California Department of Public Health.
- Proposition 65 applies statewide; we provide lot-specific heavy metal test results for each lot.
Whisked tea and lattes need different grades
San Francisco is one of the few US markets where a cafe may genuinely serve both: usucha whisked in a bowl for a Japantown customer, and an oat latte for the person behind them. These are not the same product. A ceremonial grade made for water shows every flaw and is wasted under milk; a latte grade built to cut through oat milk tastes flat and heavy in a bowl.
That is why the sample kit is two grades rather than one. A typical San Francisco pair is a first-flush Uji ceremonial for bowl service next to a Kagoshima line for the milk menu, and plenty of shops end up buying both. Tell us which side of your menu matters more and we will weight the pair accordingly. The lineup page explains what each grade is built for.
Space and turnover matter too. Matcha loses color and aroma once opened, so a small cafe is better ordering more often than storing a large bag, and keeping the working tin away from the steam wand and the dish pit.
Your first order, step by step
Start with up to two grades of your choice. Free sample kits are available for US businesses. Test them in your own recipes before choosing your first wholesale order.
- Tell us what you serve. Share your menu, milk, cup size, and expected volume.
- Taste with your team. Compare the samples in the drinks your customers order.
- Get a delivery quote. Confirm grade, quantity, and shipping to San Francisco. Wholesale orders ship from Japan.
San Francisco matcha wholesale FAQ
How do San Francisco cafes get matcha samples?
Choose up to two grades; we reply within 24 hours and ship the kit by USPS. They are free for US food and beverage businesses.
Can you supply a cafe serving both whisked tea and lattes?
Yes, and that usually means two grades. A first-flush Uji ceremonial suits bowl service, while a Kagoshima line is built for oat and dairy lattes. The free kit includes two grades so you can test both sides of the menu.
Who issues food permits in San Francisco?
The San Francisco Department of Public Health's environmental health branch permits food facilities in the city and county, so there is a single authority.
We have almost no storage space. How should we order?
Smaller, more frequent shipments. Matcha loses color and aroma after opening, so ordering more often keeps the drink better and avoids stacking cases in a back room you do not have.
Supplying matcha to San Francisco
Tell us what you serve and where in the city you are. We send two grades free, and we quote your wholesale order delivered through the Port of Oakland.